Influence of social networks on low grades of the UNIPOLI students

enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration and Management of the

group 3ºA BIS.

Universidad Politécnica de Durango

Bachelor of Business Administration and Management

Research Methodology

Jaziel Alejandro Morales Valdepeñas

María Alejandra Sosa Álvarez

Durango, Durango
 December 2021
Index

Introduction......................................................................................................................1

Chapter 1. Problem Formulation...................................................................................2

1.1 The problem.......................................................................................................2

1.2 Justification........................................................................................................2

1.3 Limitations.........................................................................................................2

1.4 Feasibility...........................................................................................................3

1.5 Objectives...........................................................................................................3

1.6 Hypothesis..........................................................................................................3

Chapter 2. Theoretical Framework...............................................................................4

2.1 Background........................................................................................................4

2.2 Other researches results.....................................................................................4

2.3 Main concepts....................................................................................................5

2.4 Classifications....................................................................................................6

2.5 Supporting information......................................................................................6

Chapter 3. Research design...........................................................................................8

3.1 Type of research.................................................................................................8

3.2 Population and sample.......................................................................................8

3.3 Variables conceptualization...............................................................................8

3.4 Instrument data collection..................................................................................9

3.5 Design of the instrument....................................................................................9

Chapter 4. Results.......................................................................................................13

Figure 1......................................................................................................................13
 Figure 2......................................................................................................................13

Figure 3......................................................................................................................14

Figure 4......................................................................................................................14

Figure 5......................................................................................................................15

Figure 6......................................................................................................................16

Figure 7......................................................................................................................16

Figure 8......................................................................................................................17

Figure 9......................................................................................................................17

Figure 10....................................................................................................................18

Figure 11....................................................................................................................18

Figure 12....................................................................................................................19

Figure 13....................................................................................................................19

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................21

References......................................................................................................................22
 Introduction
The current development of social networks is the primary means of communication
and information for many individual in contemporary societies. Social networks reconfigure
the social mechanism for exchanging information and communication. They are used by
different people and for various purposes, such as interpersonal relationships, labor
relationships, political promotion and others. Universities even use them to promote
knowledge management.

Social networks are virtual spaces where different organizations and individuals get
connected and form relationship groups in the digital environment. Today, social networks are
a very helpful tool to reach people from all over the world in just one click. Commonly used
by young people to have a certain fun, chat with their friends or even create content in one of
the platforms that social networks are, such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,
WhatsApp, Pinterest, among others.

The research seeks to verify if social networks are a factor that influences the low
grade of students, since it is a tool that most of them have at hand and due to the modality in
which it is being taught today, teachers have less control over their group and consequently is
a big distractor.

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 Chapter 1. Problem Formulation
The main point of this first chapter is to present and explain the problem, justify the
election that I made, talk about the limitations that could be faced while doing this research
and mention the objectives that are expected to meet and what the hypothesis statement is.

1.1 The problem

The use of social networks is one of the most common activities among young people,
but not in all the cases it is a good thing. Social networks can help us to acquire more
knowledge thanks to the fact that they connect us with people who are experts in certain topics
but in some cases the situation is different, students spend more time on their phones than
doing their homework or studying, what makes social networks a distraction. I would like to
address if this mentioned distraction have an implication on the low grades of the students,
specifically the ones enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration and Management of
the group 3ºA BIS of the UNIPOLI. Does social networks have an influence on low grades of
the UNIPOLI students enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration and Management
of the group 3ºA BIS?

1.2 Justification
The research was done based on the need to know how social networks affects the
academic performance of the group of 3ºA BIS of Bachelor of Business Administration and
Management, and to probe whether or not there is some influence of social networks on the
low grades of the students.

1.3 Limitations
The research is only centered on a small group, the results are going to be only of a
few number of students of the UNIPOLI of Durango State, and there will not be a full analysis
of the situation, so when proposing possible solutions there will be no certainty that they will
work.

Another limitation that can be faced while doing the research could be that students do
not tell the truth at the moment of answering the surveys, because based on false data we
cannot make accurate conclusions.

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1.4 Feasibility
The people who were chosen as a sample is a group that is within my reach and there is
no difficulty in carrying out the surveys. Whit this technique we can obtain several and
important information to help us to probe the hypothesis or deny it. The research materials to
be used have been carefully studied and are prepared to obtain testimonies that help the
objectives.

For these reasons the idea research is feasible to carry out.

1.5 Objectives
General objective:

Identify if the social networks are a factor that influences on the low grades of
UNIPOLI students in Bachelor of Business Administration and Management of the group 3ºA
BIS.

Specific objectives:

- Identify the purpose for which students use social networks.

- Recognize the impact that social networks have on students’ academic
performance.

1.6 Hypothesis
The excessive use of social networks have a bad influence in the performance and
academic development causing that the students of the group of 3ºA BIS of Bachelor of
Business Administration and Management of the UNIPOLI get low grades.

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 Chapter 2. Theoretical Framework
2.1 Background
Information and communication technologies together with mobile technologies are
allowing communication to be more accessible, immediate and at a lower cost, reaching the
social, business, governmental and even educational spheres, at present it is difficult to find a
university student who does not communicate with your social environment using social
networks derived from these technological advances.

University students spend a large part of their time on social networks due to the ease
of access through any device, generating problems in other areas of their lives, including
student performance.

The appearance in the market of the smartphone, revolutionized communications

technology, because through this mobile programs or applications are installed that improve
the properties of the phone such as data processing or connectivity with internet access via
WiFi or 3G network), and thereby highlighting the connectivity to social networks.

As of 2004, a more intense level of competition has been generated among the few
telephone companies, resulting in lower prices for the acquisition of mobile technology, which
generated a national economic movement, such as the acquisition of these instruments by
millions of people. In our country. The education sector was not oblivious to this change and
considering the affordable prices, the students also acquired mobile phones due to the
communication from anywhere with the members of their social environment.

2.2 Other researches results

According to the research made by Mario Carrera, Laura Piñon and Alma Sapién, three
doctors of the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, they conclude:

In accordance with the objectives of the research and the results obtained, it
can be concluded that the high management of social networks by the students should
be taken advantage of, as can be seen in the previous graphs. Teaching activities
should be complemented, since according to the results, 98.5 percent use this tool,
taking advantage of the fact that young people quickly get involved with these

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 technologies and obtain benefits according to their needs. The students by themselves
and without the teacher's consent are already using social networks to share
information about their classes and that in some way contribute to the teaching-
learning process, therefore a guide from the teacher is required for the management of
the groups that will complement the class. (p. 20-21)

2.3 Main concepts

2.3.1 Social network:

The concept of a social network dates back to a time long before the Internet and even
before the appearance of personal computers. It refers to a society in which people are
connected in some way, through friends, values, work relationships or ideas (Calvo, 2009).

Today, the term Social network also refers to the Web platform on which people
connect with each other. In itself it is the updated online version of a tabletop card holder.
However, it is important not to confuse social red with virtual community. In the first, the
published topics and links between users are infinite and many times they do not have a
common interest, while virtual communities are usually groups of users who with common
interests wish to interact through the Internet, to share their experiences and opinions in this
regard.

2.3.2 Information and communications technologies

According to Pintado Teresa, S. Joaquín (2012) Information technology is understood

as "those tools and methods used to collect, retain, manipulate or distribute information.
Information technology is generally associated with computers and related technologies
applied to decision-making”.

2.3.3 Mobile technologies

Currently, social networks are migrating to mobile devices such as Facebook, or

mobile applications such as the WhatsApp messaging system, which is managing groups and
thus characteristics of social networks, that is why it is important to take mobile technologies
into consideration.

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 Vosloo Steve and West Mark (2012). They mention that mobile technologies are
constantly evolving: the diversity of existing devices in the current market is immense and
includes, broadly speaking, mobile phones, tablets, electronic readers, portable sound players
and manual game consoles. Tomorrow the list will be different.

2.4 Classifications
When it comes to social networks, surely the ones that come to mind first are
Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. These are the main networks, but it doesn't stop there. There
are countless social media outlets, and each of them has different posting formats, different
users, and employment goals. That is, there are social networks that bring users together
without taking into account a specific topic and others that specialize in a common interest or
topic.

Horizontal social networks: These platforms are aimed at all types of users, without a
defined theme or common interest. People access them in order to interact, communicate or
comment on any matter. They are also known as general social networks.
Vertical social networks: These platforms are characterized by the specialization of a
specific topic, be it music, work, fashion, etc. Therefore, they reach social groups delimited by
the specific theme of said social network.

Social messaging networks: Although messaging networks are often considered

vertical social networks, their rise in recent years deserves a separate classification. In fact, in
recent years, messaging apps have been able to defeat media that seemed unbeatable, such as
SMS.

2.5 Supporting information

2.5.1 Addiction to social networks

This addiction is more dangerous because it does not require much financial expense to
access them and they are presented as a harmless activity, the causes have family origin from
separations where a family is damaged. This addiction can be caused by the lack of affection
of their respective families, since because of that the child or

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 adolescent needs to find a way where they can feel free or where they feel good, and
thus, they turn to social networks, because they allow shy people to relate more comfortably,
since they can lie about themselves and thus overcome their fears of relating to people new.
Young people addicted to social media experience isolation, uncontrolled spending,
depression and anxiety.

2.5.2 Consequences of Social Networks

The constant access to these social Internet pages could have several consequences, it
takes people away from their normal life, such as loss of interest in academic, family, physical
activities, low grades, absenteeism or school dropout, sleep and sleep disorders appetite due to
negative impact on cognitive abilities and health of individuals, and pose serious risks to the
security of private data of individuals.

2.5.3 Influence of Social Networks on low academic performance

The social activity that students engage in online may be affecting their academic
performance. Currently, young people not only make use of social networks, but rather abuse
and that has repercussions such as poor school performance or distraction in classes.

The main problem that causes addiction to social networks in students is the difficulty
of properly distributing their time, which causes problems to start their study because they do
many activities before doing it, skipping from one subject to another without dedicating the
time enough to each one; He also does not study the material he should, and only engages in
entertaining activities for a certain period, creating the bad habit of studying exclusively one
day before the exam.

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 Chapter 3. Research design
3.1 Type of research
The research have a quantitative approach because it collects and analyzes data that
were obtained from the application of surveys in order to probe the previously established
hypothesis; it also relies on numerical measurement and the use of statistics to establish
patterns of behavior of the sample.

3.2 Population and sample

The selected population to run this research were the students of the Universidad
Politecnica de Durango enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration and Management
of the 3ºA BIS of the current year.

3.3 Variables conceptualization

Didactic Strategy Set of procedures, supported by teaching
techniques, which aim to bring the didactic
action to a good point, that is, to achieve
the learning objectives.
Social media Forms of electronic communication
through which user create online
communities to share information, ideas,
personal messages and other content.
Academic Performance It is a measure of the student’s abilities,
which expresses what he has learned
throughout the training process.
Educational Technologies Application of different educational
concepts and theories for the resolution of
a wide spectrum of problems and situation
related to teaching and learning, supported
by ICT.

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3.4 Instrument data collection
The main instrument used to collect data when developing the research were surveys.
The surveys were applied through an online web portal and have specific questions that
provide real data about the situation to be addressed.

3.5 Design of the instrument

1. How many hours a day do you spend on social media?
a) Less than 1 hr.
b) 1-2 hrs.
c) 2-3 hrs.
d) More than 4 hrs.
2. Which of the following social networks do you know?
o TikTok
o Facebook
o Twitter
o WhatsApp
o YouTube
o Telegram
o Snapchat
o Instagram
o Painters
o Reddit
o Other:
3. Which of the following social networks do you use most frequently?
o TikTok
o Facebook
o Twitter
o WhatsApp

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o YouTube
o Telegram
o Snapchat
o Instagram
o Painters
o Reddit
o Other:
4. What is the academic average you currently have?
a) <7
b) 7.1-8
c) 8.1-9
d) 9.1-10
5. What social messaging network do you use the most?
a) WhatsApp
b) Telegram
c) Messenger
d) Discord
e) Wechat
6. Where do you normally use social media? (device)
a) Mobile
b) Tablet
c) Laptop / Computer
d) Other:
7. How important is social media to you? 1=Nothing important, 6=very important
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3

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d) 4
e) 5
f) 6
8. What do you use social media for? Consider 5 yes I do and 1 I don't.

1 2 3 4 5
Communicate with my friends.
Have more information about my friends.
Talk about me.
Share videos and photos.
Find my old friends.
Learn about a new topic.
Find professionals and experts to chat about a topic.
Other

9. You usually connect to social networks...

a) In the morning
b) Afternoon
c) In the night
d) Anytime
e) All the time
f) Other:
10. Is the number of friends you have added to the networks important?
a) Yes
b) No
11. If you have answered yes, can you indicate why?
o To show that I have many
o To be able to visit the profile of more people

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o Show my interests to as many people as possible
o Have more users to play with in the applications
o Be known by many people
o That many know what I do
12. When you are studying / doing school work, do you check your social networks? 1=I
do not do it, 5=Yes I do it.
o 1
o 2
o 3
o 4
o 5
13. You have stopped doing a job or task, for spending time on social networks. 1=Never,
5=Many times.
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
e) 5
14. You consider social media to be a learning tool or a great distraction. Justify your
answer.

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 Chapter 4. Results
After applying the previous questionnaire to the 30 students of the group of 3ºA
studying the Bachelor of Business Administration and Management at the Universidad
Politecnica de Durango, the results are the following.

Figure 1
How many hours a day do you spend on social media?

In this first question we can see that a 56.7% of the interviewed people spend more
than 4 hours on social networks. And 10 students only spend 2-3 hours on social media.

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 Figure 2
Which of the following social networks do you know?

This graphic can show us that the most popular and used social networks are
Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, this three get the 100%. The next more known social
networks are TikTok and YouTube. Almost all of the social networks proposed were known
except for Twitch and Reddit, those have less than 30%.

Figure 3
Which of the following social networks do you use most frequently?

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 The most used social network is WhatsApp, which is a social messaging network, spite
of this I consider it as the principal distracting one, because the 96.7% of the students use it.
After this is positioned whit an 83.3% of the students interviewed, Facebook, a social network
that have a purpose of entertain the user and get in touch with other people.

Figure 4
What is the academic average you currently have?

Only one of the students interviewed have an academic average less than 7 which
represents a 3.3%. More than the half of the group have an average of 9.1-10. This data is
important due to the statement hypothesis could be probed or denied it.

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 Figure 5
When you are studying / doing school work, do you check your social networks? 1=I
do not do it, 5=Yes I do it.

This graphic show us that a 23.3% of the students have left a side a school work to
spend a time on social networks and this can affect their academic development because, as
they mentioned in the last question, sometimes they do not finish the assignments because
they are spending time on social networks. However the majority find themselves in a middle
point.

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 Figure 6
You have stopped doing a job or task, for spending time on social networks. 1=Never,

5=Many times.

The graphic show us that only 4 students of the group have never done the mentioned
action, and in my opinion it is an alarming number, because at least 17 of them have done it
many or several times, they left a side the important things.

Figure 7
How important is social media to you? 1=Nothing important, 6=very important

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 Only a 30% of the students consider that social media is very important to them, the
36.7% consider that is important but not that much, all depends of the use that you give to

social networks, as they mention in the final question.

Figure 8
What do you use social media for? Consider 5 yes I do and 1 I don't.

The most common uses that are given to social networks were to communicate whit
their friends, selected by 15 students which represents the 50% and to learn about a new topic
were selected by 9 students that represent a 30%. Among this activities are other like look for
professionals to talk about a specific topic that a 36.6% selected that they almost never did.
What I consider a lost opportunity because we can reach a lot of professionals and expert that
can help us.

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 Figure 9
What social messaging network do you use the most?

Here we can see that WhatsApp are the social messaging network use the most because
a 96.7% select it. Although it can be a very useful tool since it allows rapid communication
through instant messages, it can also be a great distraction because it easily diverts the
attention of students.

Figure 10
Where do you normally use social media? (Device)

All the students access to their social networks through their cellphones.

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 Figure 11
You usually connect to social networks...

The 60% of the interviewed students selected that they connect or access to their social
media at any time, this situation can be interpreted as they currently stop what they are doing
to check the social networks. And only one student give less importance to social networks
because only when it is possible spend time using social networks.

Figure 12
Is the number of friends you have added to the networks important?

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 Only for 3 students is important the number of friends that they have, this represent a
10% of the group. The rest of the students do not care about the number of friends that they
have.

Figure 13
If you have answered yes, can you indicate why?

The ones that answer to the previous question yes, indicate that they care about visiting
the profiles of new people, having more friends/users to play with and be known by more
people.

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 Conclusion
Based on all the answers obtained of the applied surveys and all the information that
were obtained through this research, I can say that the statement hypothesis is rejected because
most of the students have high grades but it should not be overlooked that many of them
recognize that social networks are a great distraction and blur them from the studies, because
they are very aware of whether a notification arrives or not, if someone is speaking to them or
not. Social networks are very helpful to learn new thing, topics, activities, etc. you can find a
lot of information you want and learn on your own, they are a learning tool, since they teaches
us to reach an answer to any questions we have and also we find out what is happening around
us. But it becomes a double-edged sword by not moderating the time we spend using them.

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 References
Carrera, M., Piñon, L., Sapién, A. (2015). IMPACTO DE LAS REDES SOCIALES EN
ESTUDIANTES UNIVERSITARIOS. Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, México.

Calvo, M. (2009) Networking: Uso práctico de las redes sociales. España: ESIC
Editorial.

Pintado Teresa, Sánchez Joaquín (2012). Nuevas tendencias en comunicación, (Second

edition), España, ED. Gráficas Dehon.

Acibeiro, M. (2021) ¿Qué son las redes sociales y para qué sirven? GoDaddy. ¿Qué
son las redes sociales y para qué sirven? - Blog (godaddy.com)

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